VAN BUREN — Van Buren Schools will hold another open house about the district’s request for a $29.3 million bond issue.
The bond issue is on the May 6 ballot.
If approved, the 37-year, 6.9-mill tax package would pay for building 37 new classrooms and a new gym at the middle school and high school.
The decision to host another open house, set for 6 p.m. Thursday in the high school community room, is the result of increased demand, Superintendent Tim Myers said.
People said they had missed earlier open houses, “so we decided to have one more right before the vote,” Myers said.
The new classrooms and gym would replace an existing portion of the school that was built in 1918, making it almost 96 years old.
The building’s chimney and floors are deteriorating. Older buildings also make it difficult to implement newer technology in classrooms, he said.
“We need to pass this levy or we’re going to have to keep pouring money into fixing these problems,” Myers said.
The project also would include improvements to the heating and air conditioning systems in both of Van Buren’s schools.